1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fender protector which is fundamentally in the form of a semicircularly curved plate and is to be attached to a fender panel of an automobile so as to extend inboard of a wheel-receiving opening of the fender panel, and more particularly to a fender protector of such a type formed of a synthetic resin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In some automobiles, a fender protector fundamentally in the form of a semicircularly curved plate is attached to a fender panel of the automobile so as to extend inboard of a wheel-receiving opening of the fender panel. The main purpose of this fender protector is the protection against splashing of mud, but the fender protector also serves the function of reinforcing the fender panel.
A conventional fender protector of the above-mentioned type is made up of a protector body which is in the form of an elongate plate curved semicircularly and correspondingly to the wheel-receiving opening of the fender panel and is fixed to the fender panel, a mud guard which is a curved plate fixed to the rear end of the protector body so as to extend downward and rearward, and a fender molding which is an angled and semicircularly shaped plate fixed to the outboard circumferential edge of the protector body. The fender molding has an ornamental effect and, besides, reinforces the protector body. The protector body is formed of a metal, whereas the mud guard is formed of a rubber and the fender molding is formed of a synthetic resin.
Such a fender protector may seem to be a simple and easily produced article. Actually, however, this article requires relatively high production cost when attachment of this article to the fender panel is also taken into consideration. As a first reason, each of the protector body, mud guard and fender molding requires a separate metal die for forming thereof. The assembly of the fender protector and its attachment to the fender panel are troublesome and require many man-hours. That is, the protector body is attached to the fender panel after assembly of the car body including the fender panel, using screws or the like. It is necessary to form holes for the screws through the protector body and the fender panel at this stage, and the assembly of the fender protector and its attachment to the car body are carried out simultaneously. For this work, not only fastening parts such as screws but also some auxiliary parts and materials are necessary, so that much time and labor are necessary for management of such parts and materials. Furthermore, the protector body is liable to rust from the circumferences of the aforementioned holes.